BC Parks Reservation Service

Please click on one of the icons below to view the appropriate policies by reservation type:

New for 2017

Beginning at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) on October 1, 2016, you can start booking your Berg Lake Trail or Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit adventure for the 2017 season! View the news release.

Changes to Camping Reservations for the 2017 Season

We made some important and significant changes to the Discover Camping Reservation Service for 2017 stemming from feedback we received during the 2016 season. These changes include the ability to make reservations earlier in the year and some new policies to enhance fair and equitable access to reservations for everyone. Please read below for more details. View the news release

Eliminating “opening day” for reservations and extending the rolling reservation window from three to four months

“Opening day” (previously March 15) for reservations no longer exists.

Starting January 2, 2017, reservations can now be made four months in advance of a desired arrival date (previously BC Parks had a three month rolling window). In other words, on January 2nd, reservations (if available) can be made for any arrival date of May 2nd or sooner. Sites will then be available each day, 4 months in advance (ie, On January 3rd, you can book up to a May 3rd arrival, January 4th up to May 4th arrival etc).

Reservable dates vary by campground, but many come into effect starting mid-May. Customers should check individual park pages to determine what date their desired campground is open for reservations.
A quick reference guide can also be viewed here: Reservation Open Dates 2017[PDF 224KB]

New policy to prevent the reselling and/or transferring of reservations

BC Parks is addressing the issue of reselling and/or transferring reservations by removing the ability of permit holders to change the name on their reservation.

Starting January 2, 2017, customers will be required to provide one or two permit holder names that cannot be changed at a later date.

At least one of the permit holders must be present during the stay and identification may be required to keep the reservation valid.

Restricted booking policy to stop the practice of “overbooking”

BC Parks is addressing the practice of overbooking – when a customer makes a reservation to include more nights than are needed and later cancels the dates that they never intended to use, in order to secure a desired date before that date is released on our rolling window.

Starting January 2, 2017, reservation holders who book on or within 7 days of a “release date,” will not be permitted to change their arrival date. The release date is defined as the maximum time in advance of a trip that a customer can make a reservation on Discover Camping (example – a customer who wants to book a frontcountry reservation for an August 1 arrival date, will have their booking restricted if they book between April 1 and April 8. If the customer books for an August 1 arrival date on April 9 and after, their booking will not be restricted).

This policy only applies to customers who try to change their arrival date. Customers will still have the ability to change their departure date.

Customers who book within this 7-day period and want to change their arrival date, will have to cancel the reservation and re-book. Cancelled inventory will be released the next day at 7am (PST) and will be available to all customers making a reservation at this time.

Customers, who book after the 7-day restricted booking period, will be able to change their arrival date and their booking will not be restricted.

Discover Camping Call Centre hours

To provide Discover Camping users with enhanced customer service, starting January 2, 2017, the Call Centre will open from 7:00am – 7:00pm (PT) daily (including weekends and holidays, with the exception of December 25th and January 1st.)

The Call Centre is available to customers who prefer personalized service to assist with their campsite reservation for an additional surcharge of $5.00 plus tax.

Other related BC Parks’ policy changes

Given the high demand for camping opportunities in certain provincial campgrounds, BC Parks is implementing a pilot project to shorten the 14-night maximum stay policy to 7-nights in five high-occupancy campgrounds during the peak season (June 15 to Labour Day inclusive).

These campgrounds were selected because they have exceptionally high demand with a relatively limited number of campsites.

Reducing the maximum time a party can stay in these campgrounds is projected to create more than 1,000 campsite/night vacancies, freeing up space for customers to stay at these high-demand campgrounds.

Security upgrade

To ensure that your credit card information is kept secure, the Province of BC has recently upgraded security standards. While most users should experience a seamless transition, there may be some difficulty accessing the payment page if your computer's security is out of date. Read an explanation of the upgrade and how to correct problems.

Group Site and Picnicking Reservations

Effective September 15th, 2011, the Discover Camping Reservation Service will be accepting reservations for group and day use facilities 12 months in advance of the arrival date. Reservations can be made up to 12 months in advance provided the dates requested are within the operating season of that park. Reservations are taken on a “first come-first served” basis and may be made online at www.discovercamping.ca or via our Call Centre (a $5 surcharge applies) at 1-800-689-9025, from 7:00am – 7:00pm daily (including weekends and Statutory holidays, with the exception of December 25th and January 1 when the call centre is closed.)

No Change in Reservation Charges

The cost to make, change and cancel a campsite reservation remains the same as previous years. The reservation service charge of $6.00 plus tax per night will apply, to a maximum of $18.00 plus tax for three or more nights per campsite. This charge covers operational costs and ensures the reservation service pays for itself and is not subsidized by taxpayers.

In addition to the reservation charge, a service fee of $5.00 plus tax will be applied to transactions completed by the call centre. You can avoid this charge by reserving online.